Difficulty installing antique wall lights.

[Hefferl]

I need to install some customer supplied wall lights (various differing styles) but I'm struggling to find a neat and acceptable way to do this due to the nature of the lights.

These antique lights are quite narrow (say 30mm) and are flat at the back with nowhere to house the connections between the thin wiring of the lights themselves and the T&E that's already been installed.

For some I was considering sinking architrave KO boxes into the wall and then using this to house the connections. However the lights that are wide enough for this method arent completely solid backed (think scrolly & ornate). Other of the lights have similar problems but on top of this they are not wide enough (they taper from top to bottom) to cover an architrave box.

Any suggestions please?

(The attached image gives an idea of what I've been suppied.)

 

[batty]

Do they have a flex on them. I hate it when customers get lights like these they really are not sparks friendly i hope you allow enough time to install them and adequate price.

 

[Hefferl]

Do they have a flex on them. I hate it when customers get lights like these they really are not sparks friendly i hope you allow enough time to install them and adequate price.

These ones have 3 arms so they each have three pairs of brown/blue, each within a piece of sleeving.

You're right these are a nightmare!

 

[Badger]

I need to install some customer supplied wall lights (various differing styles) but I'm struggling to find a neat and acceptable way to do this due to the nature of the lights. These antique lights are quite narrow (say 30mm) and are flat at the back with nowhere to house the connections between the thin wiring of the lights themselves and the T&E that's already been installed.

For some I was considering sinking architrave KO boxes into the wall and then using this to house the connections. However the lights that are wide enough for this method arent completely solid backed (think scrolly & ornate). Other of the lights have similar problems but on top of this they are not wide enough (they taper from top to bottom) to cover an architrave box.

Any suggestions please?

(The attached image gives an idea of what I've been suppied.)

what about installing conduit in the wall to the loft or floor and then extend the wiring fir the fitting to feed up the conduit into the floor/loft space and make the connetions there instead.?

 

[Zeespark]

Why not run a line down to the light from your switch and install an architrave box behind the fitting to house all of the connections?

AndyGuinness

 

[OnOff]

For an "invisible" fix I think I would have dropped the the T&E in some 20mm trunking then joined inside using crimps with heat shrink over the top. What size is the "thin" wiring? You might have to double this over to be able to crimp it. That's a horrible task if the T&E is already there and no doubt plastered in................

Could you "decorate" the architrave box lid and make it a feature? Some nice glittery spray maybe!

 

[ProDave]

Make (or get someone else to make) a decorative wooden backing plate with a space routed out for the connections.

Or tell the customer to buy some better light fittings.

 

[m4tty]

Nightmare job lol. I had to fit some lights supplied by customer from next and the cable entry was a small hole and the fittings were the type where the screws had to put in wall then the fitting was hung on the screws and slid down job done but the t&e was plastered in wall with about 20mm poking out ffs. Ended up grinding the back of the fitting out.

Them lights look like they supposed to be fitted where you can get access behind. Daves idea sounds best. I'd make up sone backing plates from wood and route out enough room to terminate

 

[M107]

I do as Zee said (chop in an architrave box) on all wall lights, makes life so much easier esprcialy if you use wagos to join pre wired lights.

 

[Hefferl]

I do as Zee said (chop in an architrave box) on all wall lights, makes life so much easier esprcialy if you use wagos to join pre wired lights.

As above I was considering this, but like I say some of these fittings do not have a solid back meaning where there are decorative gaps in the fitting the contents of the architrave box will be exposed!

 

[batty]

I would chop as hole in the wall for your connections where are the fixing holes though?

 

[Hefferl]

I would chop as hole in the wall for your connections where are the fixing holes though?

Yeah I think thats all I can do - not what I wanted but little alternative really. Fixing holes are a hook midway and screw at bottom so at least that'll be ok!

 

[OnOff]

As above I was considering this, but like I say some of these fittings do not have a solid back meaning where there are decorative gaps in the fitting the contents of the architrave box will be exposed!

Architrave box in the wall with lid set flush to the wall. Hole with grommet for wires then make connections in the box. Match the box with wallpaper etc. Nice!

 

[Evans Electric]

Those things are a right pain !! Specially if the wiring is already there .

Now how many wall lights have I come across where the connectors are chopped into a recess in the plaster /brick and taped up . HHHmmmm! couldn't possibly suggest that .